Not Applicable
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a marionette having a controller and a puppet. In particular, the present invention relates to a marionette which is constructed such as to provide a wide range of movement of the puppet by using the controller.
(2) Description of the Related Art
The related art has shown various types of controllers for marionettes. Illustrative are U.S. Pat. No. 1,902,983 to Adler et al; U.S. Pat. No. 1,987,528 to Fukumoto; U.S. Pat. No. 2,862,331 to Oppenheimer; U.S. Pat. No. 5,030,162 to Hall et al and U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,357 to Newby.
Adler et al and Fukumoto both show a toy having a Y-shaped handle which connects to the head and arms of the toy for controlling the movement of the toy.
Oppenheimer shows a marionette having a hook attached to the body of the puppet preferably inside of the neck which allows for moving the puppet. The controller does not attach to the arms of the puppet.
Hall et al shows a marionette comprised of a single three-dimensional object covered by a thin flexible sheet which is connected by a filament to the center of an H-shaped handle member with each corner of the sheet being attached by a small weight which is connected to a filament to an extremity of the handle member.
Newby shows a puppet which includes a head fixed to a control rod, a body suspended by a second rod, forward limbs suspended by the ends of a looped string and rear limbs which dangle from the body. The control rod, second rod and looped string are all connected to a handle. The control rod extends through a slot in the handle and is pivotable about a pin extending transversely through the slot. The control rod is also rotatable about its longitudinal axis. The second rod is pivotable about a pin at the rear end of the handle and is also pivotable at its bottom end by virtue of a bottom eye which is looped through an eye screw in the body. In this invention, the arms of the handle connected to the strings which are connected to the limbs are stationary.
Of some interest are U.S. Pat. No. 1,350,711 to Dondo; U.S. Pat. No. 1,501,912 to Meehan; U.S. Pat. No. 1,721,186 to Muller; U.S. Pat. No. 2,466,214 to Deaton; U.S. Pat. No. 2,705,850 to Evans and U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,843 to Ho which show different types of marionettes.
Therefore, none of the above patents show a controller having wings attached to the puppet and a control rod attached to the puppet where the wings are pivotably connected to the control rod.
There remains the need for a marionette having a controller which is easily maneuvered with one hand and which allows for controlled and varied movement of the puppet.
A marionette having a puppet and a controller.
In one (1) embodiment, the puppet has a human form with a head, torso, arms and legs. The torso of the puppet adjacent the head has an opening to allow the puppet to be connected to the controller. The arms are connected to the shoulder sockets of the torso so as to allow a wide range of movement of the arms about the shoulder. The arms also have joints to simulate an elbow. The legs are pivotably connected to the bottom of the torso and enable the puppet to be moved into a sitting or standing position. The legs have joints to simulate knees to enable the puppet to kneel. Hands are provided on the arms opposite the shoulders. The fingers of the hand are cupped to form a chamber. The fingers and thumb of the hands are spaced apart to form a slot into the chamber. The controller includes a pair of control wings, a control rod and a pair of control strings. The control wings have first and second ends and are connected together at the second ends. In one (1) embodiment, the control wings are pivotably connected together at the second ends. The control rod has a pivot ball at the first end and a connector at the second end. In one (1) embodiment, the control rod is L-shaped. The second ends of the control wings have openings to accommodate the pivot ball of the control rod. The control strings have first and second ends with balls at each end. The first ends of the control wings have holes to allow for connecting the first ends of the control strings to the control wings. The puppet is connected to the controller by inserting the connector at the second end of the control rod into the opening in the torso of the puppet. The control strings are then connected to the hands of the puppet by slipping the control strings adjacent the second ends through the slots between the finger and thumb of the hands so that the balls at the second ends of the control strings are positioned in the chambers formed by the fingers of the hand.
To move the arms of the puppet, the user pivots and rotates the control wings on the pivot ball of the controller. To move the entire puppet including the head and torso of the puppet, the user rotates the control rod. The ball and socket connection of the control wings and the control rod allows the wings to be moved without moving the control rod and allows the control rod to be moved without moving the wings.
The present invention relates to a marionette which comprises: a controller having a first wing with a first end and a second end and a second wing with a first end and a second end, and having a control rod with a first end and a second end wherein the wings are connected together at the second ends and the control rod is pivotably connected at the first end to the second ends of the first and second wings; a puppet having a head, a torso and appendages with the head fixably mounted on the torso and the appendages movably mounted on the torso wherein a back of the torso adjacent the head has an opening and wherein the second end of the control rod is inserted into the opening to connect the puppet to the controller; and control strings having a first end and a second end and connected at the first end to the first and second wings of the controller and connected at the second end to the appendages of the puppet.
Further, the present invention relates to a controller for a marionette, which comprises: a first wing having a first end and a second end; a second wing having a first end and a second end and connected to the first wing so that the second end of the first wing is adjacent the second end of the second wing; and a control rod having a first end and a second end, with the first end pivotably connected to the second end of the first and second wings and the second end having a connector which is configured to be fixably connected to a puppet of the marionette.
Still further, the present invention relates to a method for controlling a puppet of a marionette, which comprises the steps of: providing a controller having a first wing having a first end and a second end; a second wing having a first end and a second end and configured to be connected to the first wing such that the second end of the first wing is adjacent the second end of the second wing; and a control rod having a first end and a second end and configured to be pivotably connected at the first end to the second end of the first and second wings and having a connector at the second end; providing a puppet having a head fixably mounted on a torso and a pair of arms movably mounted on the torso; providing control strings having a first end and a second end with a ball at each end; connecting the second end of the control rod to the puppet; connecting the first ends of the control strings to the first ends of the first and second wings so that the control strings extend from the first and second wings in a direction toward the puppet; connecting the second ends of the control strings to the pair of arms of the puppet; and pivoting the first and second wings on the control rod so that the first ends of the first and second wings move causing the pair of arms of the puppet to move.
The substance and advantages of the present invention will become increasingly apparent by reference to the following drawings and the description.